Russia hopes to improve ties with USA during John Kerry's visit to Moscow

During the visit, Kerry is to meet his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov to discuss international issues.

The Russian Foreign Ministry hopes that the negotiations will contribute to the normalization of US-Russian relations.

"We hope for a business conversation with US Secretary of State on December 15," officials with the department said.

Commenting on John Kerry's visit to Moscow, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said that the US Secretary of State would discuss the implementation of the Minsk Accord and the crisis in Syria. He added that US President Barack Obama was convinced that differences with Moscow could be solved with the help of high-level talks.